Ford Race Team Swaps Speed for Smooth Driving to Triumph in Hypermile Marathon

Formula Ford racing drivers improve on their Ford Fiesta ST’s official fuel economy figures by almost 60 per cent in 2014 MPG Marathon

The pair squeeze over 75 mpg from the same engine that they race at over 150 mph

Annual MPG Marathon takes 26 entrants on a 300-mile route to reward hypermilers using the least fuel to return the most miles per gallon

BRENTWOOD, Essex, UK, 21 October, 2014 – A team from the Formula Ford motorsport series that entered this year’s MPG Marathon in a Fiesta ST achieved the biggest improvement in fuel consumption over their car’s official figures.

Harrison Scott and Louise Richardson’s Formula Ford cars are powered by the same 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine as features in the acclaimed Ford Fiesta ST hot hatch.

In the week before the last Formula Ford round of the year, they entered the MPG Marathon in a Ford Fiesta ST to prove that their cars’ Ford EcoBoost petrol engines are frugal as well as fast.

Their Ford Fiesta ST recorded 75.77mpg over a distance of 307.4 miles to win the Best Improvement award. Its 182PS 1.6 EcoBoost engine, with a declared combined economy figure of 47.9mpg, was improved upon by 58 per cent thanks to Scott and Richardson’s smooth driving and hypermiling techniques.

Driving with a light right foot did nothing to blunt Harrison Scott’s race pace at Brands Hatch the following weekend (11/12 October), where he won two Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship races piloting the same 1.6 EcoBoost as in the Fiesta ST.

“It was a very different challenge to the driving I am used to – the MPG Marathon’s large grid of 26 covering 11 manufacturers was a bit different to Formula Ford,” said 18-year-old Harrison, who is one of six finalists for the prestigious McLaren BRDC Autosport Award. “Louise and I each drove three stints, and we got really competitive with each other, which is why I think we did so well. The concentration required to be so delicate with the throttle and brake, and to watch the gauges the whole time, was immense.

“Cars are fitted with a tracking device to ensure we follow the rules of the road and are not coasting at every opportunity. We simply employed fuel-efficient driving techniques that anyone can use in their everyday driving, such as avoiding harsh braking or sudden acceleration.

“The Fiesta ST is a seriously quick car but if you ease off, and carefully optimise all of its fuel-efficient capabilities, it’s surprising how little fuel it consumes,” Scott said, after he and Richardson became the youngest ever winners of the award in its 14-year history.

MPG Marathon organiser Ross Durkin, commented: “Harrison and Louise’s performance was nothing short of exceptional here. They are the youngest winners we have ever had in the MPG Marathon and, while economy driving skills might not be their normal pastime, the result shows that driver skill and attitude are as important as experience – a key message for other young drivers.”

The award-winning ST is Ford’s fastest-ever production Fiesta, able to sprint from 0-62mph in under seven seconds and with a top speed of 139mph. It is the first Fiesta ST to use Ford’s EcoBoost engine technology, which this summer won International Engine of the Year for the third year in succession. The EcoBoost engine’s low weight contributes towards improved handling and economy, and features technologies including turbocharging, high-pressure direct fuel-injection and twin-independent variable cam timing.

Close behind another Ford, a Focus 2.0 ST driven by Andrew Marriott and Andy Dawson, who bettered the model’s official combined economy figure by more than 44 per cent on the way to their MPG Marathon figure of 56.78mpg.

The Ford Fiesta ECOnetic was the outright winner of the MPG Marathon in 2012 and 2013, and defending champions Nick Chapman and Rosemary Homer returned at the wheel of another 1.6-litre Fiesta ECOnetic diesel. Even though they improved their performance to return 97.08mpg this year, they missed out on the best overall mpg prize by a fraction.